Design Guidelines for the Dining Table

These days, formal dining rooms seem to get neglected. Many people opt to dine at their kitchen table and often forego formal dining rooms altogether in new builds. Whether designing your kitchen dining space or a formal dining room, following these five design guidelines will create a space that is both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

Table Shape: Table shape should match the shape of your dining area. Round or oval tables are best for high-traffic areas to avoid bumping into corners.

Table Size: Make sure your table accommodate the number of people regularly dining, plus a few extra seats for guests.

Dining Chairs: Allow 24-32 inches for each place setting.

Rugs: If you choose to place a rug under your dining table, the shape should match that of the table. While this is a general rule of thumb, a rectangular rug will work for an oval table and a square rug will work for a round table. For an appropriate rug size, measure your tabletop then add 24-30″ to each side.

Lighting: As with rugs, keep the general shape of your chandelier similar to the shape of your table. The width of the chandelier should range from half to three quarters the width of your table.

For more kitchen inspiration, be sure to follow our Kitchen Decor board on Pinterest.